CBI takes over probe into drowning of civil services aspirants
The federal agency re-registered a case in the matter late on Tuesday days after the Delhi high court slammed the Delhi Police for its failure to act against MCD officials
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the probe into the drowning of three civil services aspirants in the basement of a coaching centre in Delhi’s Old Rajendra Nagar area, people aware of the matter said on Wednesday. The federal agency re-registered a case in the matter late on Tuesday days after the Delhi high court slammed the Delhi Police for its failure to act against Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials.
The court last week expressed displeasure over the incapability of the Delhi government to upgrade the city’s infrastructure while ordering the CBI to probe the matter. A bench of acting chief justice Manmohan and justice Tushar Rao Gedela transferred the probe given the nature of the incident and to ensure that the public does not doubt the investigation.
Tanya Soni, 21, Shreya Yadav, 25, and Nevin Delvin, 29, drowned when the basement library of Rau’s IAS Study Circle coaching centre flooded following heavy localised rainfall on July 27. The tragedy was the latest in a series of monsoon-related deaths in the Capital. It triggered protests outside the coaching centre prompting the police to seal off the spot declaring it a crime scene.
The protesters blocked the arterial road leading to Karol Bagh metro station, demanding government officials meet them. They were removed from the spot when senior police officers failed to convince them to leave the area.
The incident sparked a political blame game between Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party, which also controls the municipal corporation, and the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) even as authorities multiple probes.
Police registered a case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections related to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, causing death by negligence and common intention in the case. They arrested Abhishek Gupta, 41, the CEO and owner of the coaching centre, and DP Singh, 60, the institute’s coordinator.
The Union home ministry also formed a committee to inquire into the flooding incident. In a post on X on July 29, it said the panel would inquire into the reasons, fix responsibility, suggest measures, and recommend policy changes. “The committee will have Additional Secretary, ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) , principal secretary (home) Delhi, special commissioner of police, Delhi Police, fire advisor, and joint secretary as convener,” it said. The ministry added the panel would submit its report in 30 days.